Page 14 of The Consequence of You (Heathley Academy #2)

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

ASHER

W hen I made my plan to humiliate Callie, I didn’t exactly think through how I’d get her to agree to come to the charity ball. I was confident I would come up with something, but I had no idea the opportunity would present itself quite so quickly.

It’s Friday afternoon, so lectures finish early. Most students head to a strip of bars near the university to decompress.

I’d arranged to meet Grayson and, as seems to be the norm lately, Dahlia has dragged Callie along.

We’ve been out for a few hours, and Dahlia and Grayson have spent the whole time wrapped up in conversation with each other. Loved up and oblivious to the rest of us.

Sickeningly sweet if you ask me.

Callie’s currently at the bar, and it’s taking far longer than it should. Especially considering there’s no queue and I happen to know her father owns the place, so she always gets served first.

Neither of us have brought up what happened last week and seeing her should make me more pissed off, but knowing what she looks like under her clothes is just making my blood heat in an entirely different way.

As she leans over the bar to shout her order into the barman’s ear, her short-pleated skirt rides up until it sits indecently high on her slender, milky thighs.

The fishnet stockings she’s wearing stop just above her knee, meaning there are inches and inches of uncovered perfect flesh, begging to be stroked.

Fuck me, she has no idea what kind of visual she’s giving the patrons of her father’s bar right now.

Glancing around the dark room, it’s easy to identify her security detail. She doesn’t always have guards with her, but tonight she has two.

Rossi, her regular bodyguard, stands stiffly in the corner surveying the large, busy room, looking for potential dangers with his usual look of indifference pasted on his face.

He must be in his late twenties, and despite being openly ogled by some of the women dancing nearby, he never breaks his concentration.

My eyes drift to the other side of the room where another bodyguard stands. This one’s new. He looks closer to our age, and he’s built like a fighter. Thick arms and thighs, and a stance that screams stay away.

He’s pretty though, no signs of ever having broken his nose, so his muscles are clearly effective and not just for show.

I don’t like him .

He’s acting like he’s surveying the room, but every time his eyes return to Callie, they land firmly on her arse. He clearly likes what he sees. Anyone with eyes can see the subtle way he shifts his stance and clasps his hands in front of himself is to cover his fucking hard-on.

Fucking pervert.

Every minute his eyes are on her pert rear is a minute he isn’t doing the job he’s being paid for, and that doesn’t sit right with me.

Callie is laughing with the barman now, still leaning over the bar despite her drink order already being served. There’s another prick not doing his job.

This is one of ‘Don’ Messina’s establishments, and he needs to get his house in order.

Sidling up to Rossi, I take in the room again. It’s a popular bar with students who love the Friday night vibe here. There’s a surprisingly talented live singer in the corner, nailing Amy Winehouse covers and keeping most people’s attention fixated in the corner. Not Rossi’s, though.

“What can I do for you Mr Pennington?” he eventually asks when I continue to stand in silence.

“It’s Lord Pennington if we’re using formal titles. Of course, you could call me Asher.”

“What can I do for you, Lord Pennington?” he asks again, the Italian lilt in his accent somehow issuing a warning without raising his voice.

“The new suit.” I nod towards Pervert McPerverson, who still has his eyes fixated on his ward’s perfect derriere. “He needs to go.”

Rossi’s eyes flick between his junior and Callie. His jaw ticks as he registers the same thing I have.

“Fucker… ”

“Indeed. Fucker,” I agree, pleased but surprised how easily Rossi accepts my tip off.

“Marc. Come and relieve Carlo.” Confused, I turn, belatedly realising Rossi is talking into a small microphone pinned to his wrist and not addressing me. He gives me a slight nod.

“Thank you. I should have picked that up. I’ll have him dealt with.” He looks at me curiously. “Shall I let Miss Messina know you were looking out for her this evening?”

“That won’t be necessary. And for your information, I wasn’t looking out for her, I just can’t stand incompetence. On that topic, the barman needs to be given his marching orders too.”

Rossi’s eyes shoot to the bar.

“Miss Messina and Joshua are friends. He’s worked here a long time and there are far worse people she could be chatting to.”

“Someone might like to tell Joshua he’s just friends with Calliope then, as he doesn’t seem to have got the memorandum.”

Callie throws her head back and laughs at something Joshua says. My hands curl into fists at the sight.

What the hell is he saying that has her laughing like that?

I can’t see her face from this angle, but I can imagine her pretty, ruby-red lips stretching into a wide smile. Her dark eyes sparkling with mirth and her delicate lashes fluttering against her cheeks.

Callie and I share a common darkness, it’s always there under the surface, but right now, you’d be hard pressed to spot it. If I was her friend, I’d be pleased for her, Joshua’s helping her find a distraction from it, even if only for a few hours .

But I’m not her friend.

Why the fuck should she be happy and escape for a few hours when I can’t?

I turn to Rossi, who is infuriatingly calm. In fact, he appears to be holding back a smirk.

“Lord Pennigton, Joshua is harmless. He’s had a thorough background check. He’s no threat.”

He’s no threat? I almost laugh at Rossi’s naivety.

And here’s me thinking he’s good at his job.

He’s supposed to be protecting Callie. That means keeping her in exactly the same condition at the end of his shift as she was at the beginning.

Her soul should stay the exact same shade of black as when it started. Joshua is very much a threat to that.

If Rossi isn’t prepared to do something about it, I will.

CALLIE

“What did you do then?” I laugh as Josh recounts how he messed up a meet cute in his local coffee shop this morning. He’s had his eye on the hot male barista for weeks and today he decided to make a move. Except it ended up with them both covered in ice cold coffee.

“What could I do? I just handed him a napkin and got out of there as quickly as I could.”

“I’ll never be able to look at a vanilla Frappuccino with whipped cream in the same way again.”

Josh rolls his eyes at me dramatically, and I’m surprised to realise I actually feel genuinely happy.

Fuck, when was the last time I allowed myself have fun with anyone other than Dahlia?

I reach over to pat Josh’s arm in sympathy when my seat is knocked into, and my drink splashes out of my glass all over my hand.

I jump up before the cold liquid can run off the bar.

“Shit,” Josh exclaims before grabbing a towel from behind the bar. He frantically mops up my drink.

Turning to see who knocked into me, I find Asher Fucking Pennington standing next to me in all his sinful splendour.

His usual blond quiff is slicked back, not a hair out of place.

His black polo shirt is stretched over his chest, and the sleeves show off his perfectly formed biceps.

He’s frowning at me like he has more reason than me to be pissed off right now.

“Tell the help to fuck off.” His crisp British accent is cutting.

“Excuse me?”

“Tell. The. Help. To. Fuck. Off.” He enunciates every word as though I’m stupid.

“Oh, I heard you, you classist fuck.”

Who the hell does this pompous twat think he is? Joshua moves on to drying the sleeve of my top, and Asher’s expression darkens further.

“Barkeep. Get your hands off her.” At Asher’s words, Joshua hesitates, his eyes flicking between the two of us. Despite how intimidating Asher is, Joshua stands his ground.

“Callie, is everything okay here? Do you want me to have this man removed from the bar?” Before I can answer, Asher throws back his head in laughter.

“If anyone needs removing , it’s you,” he retorts. “I don’t think your employer would be too impressed to see your unwashed hands on his daughter. And it’s Miss Messina to you.”

“Are you being serious right now?” I look at Asher incredulously before turning to Joshua. “Ignore him. Please continue to call me Callie. If I had a problem with that, I’d have told you.”

Joshua takes a step back as he eyes me wearily.

“No, he’s right, Miss Messina. I overstepped. Let me get you a fresh drink. Would your friend like one too?”

Asher’s smile is tight but there’s a clear look of satisfaction on his face.

“I’ll take a Macallan 18 with plenty of ice, please. And Miss Messina will have a Virgin Mary.”

“Excuse me?” I blanch at the sheer gall of the man. “Josh, I would not like a Virgin Mary. I hate tomato juice with a passion. I will just have another glass of water, thank you.”

Josh shuffles off to prepare our drinks and I turn to face Asher.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“You need some vitamins. You’re looking pale. And, now you mention it, you look a little tired.”

“I didn’t mention it. And fuck you, Asher. It’s been a long week; I was over here enjoying a nice conversation with a friend, and I don’t need you telling me I look like shit.”

“On the contrary, you don’t look like shit . Unfortunately, you look quite pleasing, your glow is just a little…off. And for the record, if your daddy is paying them, they’re not actually your friend.”

“Wow. You’re something else, you know that?” There’s a flash of something in his eyes, but before I can decipher what that something is, he’s back to his arrogant, cocky self.

“Yes. Yes, I am, and I make no apologies for it. ”

I let out a long sigh. He’s infuriating, and he’s ruined the perfectly lovely time I’d been having with Joshua.

“What do you want, Asher?”

“Your second bodyguard. The new one. He’s not up to par.

I’ve informed Rossi.” I glance over my shoulder at my old bodyguard who is watching us with interest but has made no move to come over and intervene.

I flick my eyes to Carlo whose cheeks are flushed and notice that he won’t meet my gaze. “You’re welcome.”

“What did you do?”

“He is incompetent. He couldn’t take his eyes off your arse. Can’t blame a man for that, but he shouldn’t be doing it on your father’s pound, so I informed Rossi, and he’s being removed from his post.”

After what happened last week, Carlo is only just back in Rossi’s good books. He’s not worked for the family for long, so I know two mistakes will be unforgiveable to my father, even if the first was more my fault than his. I need to try to smooth this over, so he doesn’t lose his job.

“If Rossi felt Carlo wasn’t doing his job, he’d have said something.”

“You make a good point, Calliope. Suggests Rossi is also distracted.” Before he gets any ideas, I grab Asher’s arm. I’m not happy about Asher threatening Carlo’s position, but it’s absolutely unacceptable for him to threaten Rossi’s.

“Don’t you dare do anything that jeopardises Rossi’s job. I trust him with my life. I won’t have you interfering with his role.”

Asher’s eyes hold mine, and I’m suddenly aware of my tight grip on his bare forearm. He looks down and studies my fingers, which are currently curled around his arm. My pale skin is a contrast to his more tanned tone and my fingers look tiny.

I loosen my grip, letting go, and instantly miss the feel of the warm skin on my palm.Asher’s green eyes connect with mine.

“What will you offer me in return?”

“What are you talking about?”

“If I don’t report Rossi’s mistake to daddy dearest and save him his job… What will you do for me in return?”

Scoffing, I try to sound more confident than I feel.

“Rossi is the best in the business, Asher. Do you honestly think my father would listen to anything you have to say?”

“Your father has a reputation to uphold. His wife is deceased. He isn’t going to do anything to risk his only daughter’s safety. If I go to him, he will listen. Because he can’t afford not to. Even if he does nothing now, that tiny seed of doubt will be there and eventually he’ll let Rossi go.”

The smug bastard takes a long swig of the drink Joshua placed in front of us, before swirling the remaining liquid around the glass. I swallow.

Why the fuck is Asher making any of this his business?

My thoughts drift back to the last time I saw him. I picture the expression on his face when I walked out on him at the nursing home. Figures his ego would be bruised.

“You’re a prick, you know that?”

“Never claimed to be a nice guy, Calliope. So, what are you going to give me to keep your knight in his job?”

“What is it you want?” I grind out, already sure Asher has something in mind.

“I want you to come to an event with me. ”

I scowl.

“What kind of event?”

“It’s nothing really. Just a charity dinner. But I need a date.”

“When have you ever been short of a date?” I eye him suspiciously, knowing instinctively there’s more to this than he’s letting on.

“Yes, you’re correct. My little black book is bursting. But I something specific for this event. Someone specific,” he clarifies, “and you are exactly right for what I have in mind.”

“You’ll have to give me more than that.”

“Actually, no I don’t. I’ll text you the date and time, and I’ll send a driver for you.”

I look at Rossi who nods at me, oblivious to what Asher is threatening to do if I don’t agree to his demand. Dinner is nothing in the grand scheme of things. I sigh.

“Okay.”

“One more thing. Wear something black.”

Dickhead.

I always wear black .